Women's Tennis

WOMEN’S TENNIS DRAWS #3 UCLA IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Making its 13th-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, Sacramento State women's tennis has drawn No. 3 UCLA in the first round of the national championship. The teams will meet on Friday, May 9, at 1 p.m. at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, with the victor to face the winner of the Texas Tech – Ole Miss matchup in the second round.

The Hornets reached the NCAA Tournament for the 13th straight year after winning their 13th-straight Big Sky Tournament championship. Sacramento State (12-16) entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed but reached the final and narrowly outlasted top-seeded Montana, 4-3, in a thrilling title match.

UCLA (21-2) is currently ranked No. 3 in the ITA poll, but the Bruins are the No. 5 seed for the tournament. The squad went 9-1 in Pac-12 play and is 13-0 on its home court this season. Three Bruin players are ranked 13th or higher in singles, including the second-ranked player in the country, Robin Anderson, while Anderson and teammate Jennifer Brady are the top-ranked doubles team in the nation.

The matchup against UCLA marks the seventh time since 2002, and the third-straight year, that the Hornets open the tournament against a Pac-12 team. The squad took 4-0 losses against USC last year and Cal in 2012 but did earn a point in the NCAA Tournament in 2011, falling to Arkansas 4-1.

Sacramento State has been close in many of its NCAA appearances, including a 4-3 loss against Fresno State in 2004, but is still in search of its first NCAA Championship victory. The Hornets and Bruins have met just once before, a 4-0 win by UCLA in Los Angeles in 2011.